DUMPLINGS BEFORE I GO
Directed by Kelsey SHA
Set in Chinatown in the 1970s, two restaurant workers—a woman living a life of stability and a traveler about to embark on his next journey—form an unlikely bond during their last night in the same kitchen.
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This is a romance/drama film, except no one falls in love. Rather, it is a film about culture, self-discovery, and the fear of change. It is Lost in Translation meets Past Lives, in Wong Kar Wai’s visual style.
Words from the Director:
There’s a tradition on my father’s side of the family: you always make dumplings before someone leaves. Ever since I could remember, whenever I went to visit my grandparents, they would always make us dumplings before our flight. No matter what time of the day it was, they would get up and make dumplings from scratch. Growing up, I never quite understood why they did, but in recent years, the pieces have begun to fall into place. It’s been over a year since my grandfather’s passing. Although he had long forgotten me before then, I will always remember him by the silhouetted bend of his back as he rolled out dumpling wrappers in front of the kitchen window. Although he had long forgotten that the girl in front of him was his granddaughter, a child he raised from birth and used to chase around the house laughing and grumbling under his breath, he will never forget to make her dumplings—not just because it’s tradition, but because deep down, he knows. Whoever this girl was, he wanted her to chase after her dreams and to be safe on all her journeys.
In my family, we seldom say goodbyes. Instead, we make dumplings.
